STEVENS POINT — Children ages 3-4 who need help developing language skills could benefit from a new program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point this fall.
The Lil’ Sprouts Language Group will be offered from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sept. 11 through Dec. 8 by the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. It will be held on the lower level of the College of Professional Studies Building on the UW-Stevens Point campus.
The program offers fun, interactive language-rich activities and evidence-based intervention techniques and strategies to assist in developing language skills.
A typical day will include greetings, circle time and free play in centers that include letters, books, a kitchen, dolls, building blocks and sensory toys, with modeling and peer interactions supported by student clinicians. There will also be story and music time, arts, crafts and snacks, with speech and language objectives specific to each child embedded in daily activities.
The program is for children ages 3-4 who:
- Have received services from Birth-to-Three or other early intervention programs
- Are at risk for speech/language problems because of a family history of learning difficulties (such as autism, learning disability, dyslexia)
- Are at risk because of socio-economic and educational barriers and limitations
- Seem to be lagging behind peers in communication, speech or social skills
- Did not start talking or using words as a primary way to communicate until after age 2
A minimum of one state-licensed, nationally certified speech-language pathologist and three speech-language pathology graduate or senior-level students will be available for every 6-8 children.
The cost of the Lil’ Sprouts Language Group is $250 per semester. To register, call 715-346-3667 or email [email protected].
Photo courtesy UW-Stevens Point.
